You will need an internet connection to install Assassin’s Creed Shadows, but after that, the entire experience can be played offline, Ubisoft has announced. The company did so after word online spread that Shadows requires a mandatory online connection to play the game. 

Following the reveal of Shadows yesterday, which showcased the dual samurai and shinobi protagonists we’ll be controlling in 16th-century feudal Japan, people noticed wording in preorder listings and elsewhere that seemingly pointed to the game requiring an always-online connection. This frustrated fans of the series, especially given Shadows, like its recent predecessors, is a single-player game. However, that’s not the case and Ubisoft released a statement today to clear the air. 

“Hey everyone, we wanted to share some of the early information on the upcoming launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, following some questions we’ve noticed in the community,” the statement reads. “Assassin’s Creed Shadows will not require a mandatory connection at all times. An online connection will be needed to install the game, but you will be able to play the entire journey offline, and explore Japan without any online connection. 

“We are super excited to bring Assassin’s Creed to Feudal Japan on November 15 when the game releases, and we cannot wait to show you more along the way.” 

As you can see, it’s clear Shadows is a game you can play offline, but only after connecting to the internet once to actually install the RPG. 

Assassin’s Creed Shadows hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Amazon Luna, PC (via the Ubisoft Store and Epic Games Store), and Mac (with Apple silicon via the Mac App Store) on November 15.

For more, check out what we learned yesterday during the Shadows reveal, and then read Game Informer’s ranking of the entire Assassin’s Creed series.

How do you feel about needing internet to install Assassin’s Creed Shadows? Let us know in the comments below!